Merely A Meerkat
by ZeeCorge
Summary: Meerkats are introduced to the Central Park Zoo, and Kowalski falls for a female Meerkat. But is this female more than what she seems? Rated T for chapter 8. KowalskixOC
1. Chapter 1

While working on _Copacabana _I got the idea for this story. Meerkats are one of my favorite animals so I thought they'd make the perfect addition to the Central Park Zoo.

You know I don't own the Penguins of Madagascar, I don't need to say it right? Well... I did anyways.

* * *

"Kowalski, status report." Skipper stated in military fashion, while the Penguin he was addressing used a pair of binoculars to look left of their habitat.

"It appears the new habitats construction is complete, Sir." Kowalski answered. Holding up a flier before he continued, "And according to this the new animals will be here in a few days."

"Good work Kowalski!" Skipper complimented before taking a look through the binoculars himself.

The youngest of the Penguins waddled over to them "What kind of animals are they?" he questioned happily in his British accent.

Kowalski turned to Private, "It would seem they are Meerkats." he said while handing him the flier.

Rico popped up from nowhere "KITTY!" he yelled happily.

"Actually Meerkats aren't related to cats at all, they're a member of the Mongoose family." Kowalski was about to continue his lecture but noticing the blank look on Rico's face he realized it was a lost cause.

"I've never seen a Meerkat before." commented Private as he looked at the cartoon Meerkats on the flier, "I con't wait to meet them!"

Skipper padded Private on the back, "We'll give them a warm welcome, Private."

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A few days later after the Zoo had closed Kowalski called out, "Skipper, Alice is placing a crate in the new habitat." He handed Skipper his binoculars.

Taking a look Skipper announced to the other Penguins, "That must be the new arrivals Men. We'll wait two hours, then start Operation 'Welcoming Party'!"

Rico jumped into the air "Yeah PARTY!" he snickered excitedly.

( Two Hour Later )

The Penguins were gathered at the edge of their habitat, Skipper was looking them over. "Alright men, let's try to make a good first impression!" Turning to Private he asked, "Got the welcoming gift Soldier?"

Private held up a tacky house plant, that was near dead. "Check!"

Skipper then turned his attention to Rico. "Rico! Stop eating all the snacks!", he ordered.

After shoving another flipper full of chips into his mouth Rico hung his head. "Aaaw!"

"Now let's move out!" Skipper said as he began to march toward the Meerkat enclosure. They easily made their way in, it was set up as a semi-desert environment. The ground was slightly sandy with sparse patches of grass. The only thing missing were the Meerkats. Skipper turned to his men "Fan out, those mammals have to be here somewhere." with that order all four dispersed.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Private voiced nervously while walking up a small mound to get a better look around. Suddenly he disappeared, the others were alerted by his yelp.

They all came running to where the house plant now lay abandoned. "Private? Where are you Soldier?!" Skipper called out. Kowalski and Rico were in fighting positions fearful of an ambush. Skipper saw a small bush on the other side of the mound that wasn't attached to the ground. Moving it aside he noticed that there was a hole in the ground. knelling down Skipper looked in, "Private, are you down here?" concern was showing in his voice.

Private slowly came into view in the hole. Rubbing his sore bum he answered, "Sorry about that Skippa, I didn't see the hole here." Skipper lowered his flipper into the hole to help Private climb out. But he didn't take the offer, "I think there's tunnels down here, maybe we should take a look around." Private suggested.

"That's good thinking Private!" he turned to the others, "Alright men, we're going in, be on your guard!" then Skipper jumped into the hole, closely followed by Kowalski and Rico. Once everyone was inside Skipper started to walk down the tunnel leading deep into the Earth. The further they went the darker the tunnel became and Private quickly began regretting his suggestion.

* * *

*GASP* What's going on? I dunno! Guess we'll find out in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Here it is, Part 2. This is really fun to write.

I don't own Penguins of Madagascar, yadda-yadda-yadda!

* * *

Skipper paused for a moment, "Lights Rico." Rico hacked up a flash light and handed it to Private, who was slightly reluctant to take it.

The Penguins began walking again until they came to a fork in the tunnel. He looked down each before turning to his men, "Alright, looks like we'll have to split up. Kowalski, you take the left. Rico will go right, Private and I will forge ahead. Report back here when you're done." Skipper ordered, everyone saluted before going their separate ways.

Kowalski studied the tunnel as he went along, he was amazed at how well it was constructed considering it had only been two hours. He figured in his head there must be an army of Meerkats down here somewhere. Lost in thought he was completely unprepared for what happened next. Kowalski yelled in surprise as he was knocked down and pinned to the ground by a strong force.

He looked up to see a female Meerkat sitting on his chest, holding down his flippers. She had a scar running down the bridge of her nose. Leaning down to look at him, pure hate filled her features. "Who… Or _what_ are you? And what are you doing down here?!" She demanded coldly.

It took a moment for him to come to his senses, "Well, to address your first question my name is Kowalski, and I'm a Penguin. A flightless bird mainly found in cold climates. As to why I'm here, we came to welcome you to the Zoo." he responded, growing uncomfortable in his current situation.

She eyed him a few seconds before climbing off to stand next to him. "We?" she asked, not as harsh as before.

Before Kowalski had time to elaborate the other come running into the scene. "We heard a scream, what's going on man?" Skipper asked Kowalski, shining the flash light in the Meerkats face. She covered her face to shield it from the bright light.

"It was nothing Skipper, just a misunderstanding." he reported.

Skipper lowered the light so it wasn't directly blinding her but still lighting her features. He looked her over, "So you're a Meerkat? Nice to meet you! My name's Skipper, I'm the leader of this team. This is Private and Rico." he pointed to each Penguin as he addressed them. "And of course, you've already met Kowalski." He looked back at her before continuing. "And you are..?"

"My names Tammy, it's nice to meet all of you." She smiled happily.

"So where are the others? We brought snacks to-" Kowalski looked over at Rico to find him face first in the bag of chips. "Well nevermind." he sighed.

Tammy hang her head, "It's just me for now. There was a mix up and the others were sent to the wrong location. I'm only here because I got sea-sick, so the humans put me in a different crate.", she looked up with a little more cheer. "The others will be here in a few days."

"Sea sick? Where did you come from?" Private asked nicely.

"Africa of course."

"Wow, hold the phone. You mean you're from the wild?" Skipper looked her over again.

"Well, yeah. Where else would I come from?" She answered as if it were the silliest question she'd ever heard.

Kowalski replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "Most animals are born and raised in a Zoo. Skipper and I were born at this very Zoo."

"I'm from a Zoo in London!" Private butted in.

"Oh, I see." Tammy turned to Rico, "Where are you from?"

Rico just stared at her, licking the chip crumbs off his face. "Rico doesn't talk much… And we're not exactly sure where he came from. He just appeared one day!" Skipper informed Tammy.

"I'm sorry, but could we possibly continue this outside? I don't like being in the dark." Private asked uneasily, moving closer to the others.

"It is a little cramped down here." Skipper concluded, Tammy nodded in agreement. Everyone began walking toward the tunnel entrance.

Kowalski again turned his attention to the tunnels construction, "If you're the only one here, how did you manage to dig all these tunnels in such a short amount of time?"

Without a pause she replied, "It's in my blood, all Meerkats are natural diggers." She pulled on a root that was sticking out as they went. "Back in Africa we used tunnels for lots of things. Sleeping, hiding from enemies, it's really important to have sturdy tunnels." Kowalski nodded taking in all the new information.

Finally they reached the end and climbed out. Under the lighting of the setting sun it was revealed that Tammy's back was covered in scars just like her nose. Private was the first to speak up, "Tammy, how did you get all those scars?"

She looked away for a moment, "Just some battle scars, it's rough in Africa sometimes."

"A soldier, huh? I think we'll get along just fine!" Skipper said, slapping Tammy on the shoulder.

Kowalski's focus shifted as he got an idea, "Would you like a tour of the Zoo?"

"That would be lovely!" She smiled, a guided tour would be useful to her directive.

* * *

Tammy seems to be an odd little Meerkat... And what's this about a directive? You'll find out more in later chapters!


	3. Chapter 3

Some conflict in this chapter. And we learn a little more about Tammy too.

* * *

"I want to go too!" Private exclaimed.

Skipper smiled, "Alright, you two show Tammy around. Rico and I will head back to HQ and clean up the mess he made earlier." Rico groaned. Skipper turned to him, "I told you not to put spicy chili in water balloons! That's just a recipe for disaster man!" The insane Penguin nodded as if he'd learned a lesson. With that the two departed.

Private faced Tammy and asked, "What would you like to see then?"

"Everything please!" Tammy replied with a large smile.

"Very well, tho it will take awhile." Kowalski calculated it for a moment. "Two point three hours to be exact. We better get started."

They left the Meerkat enclosure and began the tour. First it was the 'Zoovenir' shop, where Private and Tammy played a quick game of foam-finger sword-fight. Then it was to the warehouse where the Penguins told her about delicious popcorn and how to make it. They passed the infirmary but Private was too scared to go inside. After a few other locations they began introducing her to all the other animals. She was nice to each one of them and amazed at all the different kinds of creatures within the Zoo.

Everything was going smoothly until they reached Marlene's habitat. The Penguins jumped into the mote that surrounded the wall. As they came up in the water they noticed Tammy wasn't with them. Looking back they saw she was standing on the wall gripping the railing tightly. Tammy's eyes were wide, her gaze fixed on the water.

"Is something wrong Tammy?" Kowalski questioned.

Her focus not leaving the water she replied nervously, "I-I'm sorry. But I can't! I really, _really _don't like water." she edged back even further.

The shorter Penguin tilted his head in confusion, "Why's that exactly?"

"I don't know, it's just a natural fear. All Meerkats are scared of water!", Tammy finally looked at them, with fear-filled eyes.

Kowalski felt sorry for her, "That's alright, we'll just get Marlene to come out here." They both went into the cave.

A few moments later they returned with said Otter. She jumped into the water, then shot into the air, landing on top of the wall next to the frightened Meerkat. "Hi, I'm Marlene!" She greeted, extending her hand.

Tammy reluctantly shook her hand acting as though the wet Otter was covered in germs. "…Tammy"

"I can't tell you how awesome this is, there's not a lot of girls around here to relate to, you know?", receiving a blank stare Marlene decided to change the subject. "So you're from the wild? What's it like?"

She thought for a second, "Hot… And sandy."

"Oh, that sounds…. Interesting." Marlene wasn't exactly sure what to say.

"Especially when you're at the bottom of the food-chain!" The Meerkat said jokingly.

They conversed a few minutes longer before leaving. The two Penguins and Meerkat walked along the road, deciding to skip the Polar Bear's habitat seeing as it was also surrounded by water. Tammy's ears twitched, alert to a new noise she'd never heard before. "That's that sound?" She asked coming to a stop.

"Sounds like Julian's having another party." Private informed her.

"You probably don't want to meet him. He can be rather annoying." The taller Penguin added.

She smiled at them, "Of course I want to meet this Julian. I'm sure he's not that bad." Tammy laughed.

The two Penguins exchanged a knowing look before heading to the Lemur enclosure. "If you insist, but you're only going to regret it." They made it over the wall and climbed up the platform. Maurice and Mort were idly shaking their 'groove thing' but stopped when they noticed they had company. Julian however was completely oblivious and continued to shake it atop his throne.

"Ello Maurice, Mort. We just came by to introduce you to Tammy, she's the new animal from the exhibit they just finished building." Private chirped happy as Tammy waved to the Lemurs.

Before Maurice had a chance to speak, a voice from above called out, "Maurice? Who said that you could stop with the booty shaking? Because I, King Julian, did NOT!" It was then that his attention was brought to the Penguins and the new comer. Julian jumped down from his throne and inspected the Meerkat. "Why hello animal I have never seen before! Have you come to shake your booty with the King? Which is me." Julian said while looking at his nails.

"Um… No thanks." She was a little confused how to respond.

"My, what big feets you are having!" He laughed pointing at Tammy's legs.

Tammy was taken aback for a moment, then she rose up on her hind legs, gaining a slightly higher stance than Julian. She growled bearing her fangs, "What was that?!" Private gulped, fearing a fight.

Standing his ground Julian seemed unfazed. "It was a compliment, if you are not wanting compliments from your new King, then fine! I, the King, will never again give you good words about you disproportionate body parts!", he swished his tail in her face.

She was about to lunge at him when Kowalski and Private began pulling Tammy away. "Let me at him! King my left ear! I'll put him in his place!!", when they reached the wall she gave up on her struggle to get free.

"You seem quick to anger. You might want to work on that temper." Kowalski advised.

She sighed heavily as they climbed back over the wall. "I'm sorry, I just don't like being insulted! But you were right about Julian, he is _very _annoying." under her breath she added, "He'll be the first to go."

"What was that Tammy?" Private questioned.

"I, uh… I have to go. It's getting late and I'm tired." She faked a yawn, "Thanks for showing me around." She hugged them both before quickly running off.

* * *

Oooh, Tammy almost opened a can of whoop-ass on Julian. XD


	4. Chapter 4

I'm really sorry I haven't updated lately, I'll try harder to update more often. Thanks for all the reviews!

I don't own the Penguins of Madagascar! DreamWorks & Nick does, worship them! (Well, maybe not Nick)

* * *

The next day was the grand opening of the Meerkat Enclosure, the Penguins noted that Tammy seemed very stressed by the crowd of people around her. Kowalski suggested they invite her over to H.Q. in an attempt to make her feel more welcome, Skipper agreed.

After the Zoo closed Kowalski and Rico made their way over to Tammy's. At first she was reluctant to come but was assured she wouldn't have to go in the water. It could provide more information so Tammy finally relented.

They came out through the tunnel behind Private's 1st Prize. Tammy looked around, completely amazed by all the objects. "Ello Tammy, how was you're day?" Private questioned as he waddled up to her.

Her focus continued to dart around the room, "Awful! How can you stand those humans watching and yelling at you all the time?"

"You get used to it…" Skipper said as he cleared the table, Rico regurgitated a deck of playing cards.

She sighed heavily, "They're horrible, keeping us locked up for their amusement…" Something caught her eye, she walked over and picked it up. "What's this?" She inquired as she played with it's rounded pegs.

Kowalski smiled, "That's an abacus, an ancient device used for calculations."

Placing the abacus back where she found it, she continued looking around. She came upon Kowalski's notebook and looked it over. It was covered in equations, Kowalski was slightly amused as she cocked her head, seemingly confused. "You miscarried the 4..." Tammy stated, handing the notebook to him.

"W-what?" He stammered. Looking at the equation she had pointed to he found that he did, in fact, miscarry the 4. The intellectuals mouth hung open, stunned at his simple mistake. How did she know? But he had no chance to question it.

Skipper began shuffling the deck, "Alright, whose up for a game of Stomp the Wombat?"

Tammy quickly made her way to the table, "How do you play?" She'd never played a card game before, but was interested. Private explained the rules of the game, being corrected by Skipper every so often. Rico munched on popcorn while Kowalski dealt the cards.

Before long several rounds had passed, and Tammy was loosing the current hand. She looked around to make sure everyone's focus was on their cards. She snaked her tail around Kowalski, careful not to actually touch him.

Suddenly Kowalski felt something touch his side, opposite of Tammy. He turned to see who it was but found nothing. Tammy took the opportunity to lean over and look at his cards.

"Hey! There's no cheating in Stomp the Wombat!" Skipper spat.

Tammy was startled, Kowalski eyed her. The Meerkat laughed nervously as she straightened, "I wasn't cheating, I was just checking his cards."

Skipper wasn't amused, "That's called cheating…"

"Oh, well now you tell me." She smiled innocently. Knowing full well it was cheating. Kowalski stiffened, but it went unnoticed.

Rico chuckled, causing him to spit up a King of Hearts. Both Rico and Skipper starred at the card. He shifted his gaze to the crazed Penguin. "You too Rico? Was everyone cheating?!" He threw his arms in the air.

There was a moments silence, before Private decided to speak up. "Actually Skippa, the game was starting to get a little boring. I'd like to watch a little telly if you don't mind."

Skipper threw his hand of cards down, "Fine. I need to get tomorrows training course setup anyways." He said before waddling off, up to the platform.

Private plopped down in front of the television and turned it on. Rico went in search of his Barbie doll, leaving Tammy and Kowalski alone. He didn't seem in a hurry to move so she took it upon herself to put the cards back into their box. "I didn't mean to ruin the game, I was just joking." She frowned. He remained quiet, unmoving.

"Your tail…. Is still touching me." Kowalski whispered shyly, blushing under his feathers.

Tammy looked to find her tail wrapped around his bottom. She quickly jumped away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry! I- I wasn't paying attention!" She blushed deeply, the scar on her nose turned a bright red. They starred at each other for a moment, an awkward silence falling on the room, except for the sounds of the television which had Privates full attention.

"Well… Thanks for having me over." The Meerkat fidgeted, scratching at her ear. "But I think I should be getting home."

Kowalski stood, "Would you like me to walk you back?" He questioned, trying to be mannerly, despite the awkwardness.

She jumped into the tunnel leading out, "No, no. I'll be fine. Thanks anyways. Good night." Tammy waved quickly before leaving.

As soon as she was gone he rubbed the area her tail had been. What an odd sensation, the reaction the touch caused from him. It confused him, Kowalski waddled off to get his notebook.

---------------

Kowalski slowly woke up, a little confused why Skipper hadn't sounded the morning wake-up alarm. He opened his eyes and looked around, his gaze landed on an object sticking out from under his pillow. Kowalski curiously picked it up. It was square, wrapped in newspaper. There was a small note attached to it. He slowly read it to himself.

_Hey Kowalski, I thought this could help you with your calculations. No more miscarried 4's!_

_~ Tammy_

The intellectual was slightly mystified by the note, setting it aside he began removing the newspaper. He let out a gasp when he realized what the gift was. Holding it up, he admired the object. It was an advanced Calculate 9000, with so many buttons Kowalski thought he might be in heaven. The mathematical possibilities were endless!

Kowalski finally made his way onto the platform, already putting the Calculate 9000 to use. He looked up to see the others huddled around Skipper, who was looking through a set of binoculars. "What's going on?" He inquired as he came up to them.

"The rest of the Meerkats just arrived!" Private chirped happily.

* * *

In the next chapter we'll finally get to meet Tammy's family!


	5. Chapter 5

Penguins of Madagascar copyright DreamWorks & Nick. You should know this by now, silly!

* * *

The Penguins decided not to wait, and went over to greet the Meerkats before the Zoo opened. They quietly slipped into the habitat unnoticed, there were Meerkats of all different sizes running around. Kowalski located Tammy and the group made their way over to her. She had her back turned toward them, her head down.

"Hello Tammy!" Skipper greeted in his usual sly manner.

Her head wiped back, "Oh, hey guys. You're up early." she smiled, turning to face them. Latched to her stomach was a baby Meerkat, it appeared to be no more than a few weeks old.

Skipper looked around, "So this is your family, huh?"

"Yep… Well, most of them. Some got left behind when the humans caught us." Tammy said with remorse.

She looked about, quickly identifying them. She pointed to the right. "That's Ted and Fred, their… Very competitive." They were currently in some sort of slapping contest. Rico chuckled evilly, he could win that easily.

"Digging the new tunnel over there, is Barb and Spike. Nancy is the one taking care of the other baby, Kally. And that's Billy and Iggy over by the habitat wall." She looked at them for a moment, wondering exactly what they were doing.

The Penguins watched as she pointed everyone out, Skipper mentally noted that some had scars but none were as badly covered as Tammy. Kowalski's focus never left the baby Meerkat though.

"And this," She paused to nudge the little form still clinging to her, "Is Tiki. He's still getting used to being out of the nursery, so he's a little shy." Tiki peaked his eyes out but at the sight of the Penguins buried his face back into Tammy's fur. She looked down, patting him on the head. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you." She cooed softly.

"Aw, he's so cute!" Private said happily clapping his flippers together.

Kowalski's mind was turning so fast he couldn't focus on a single thought. A sudden sadness filled him, though he didn't understand why. He finally found his voice, "Yes, your son is adorable.", it came out more shaky than he would have liked.

Did she detect a bit of disappointment in his voice, Tammy dismissed it though. "Oh, Tiki's not mine. He's the dominate females, only she's allowed to have kids, but raising them is the whole groups job." She looked down at Tiki. "He just seems more attached to me."

Feeling embarrassed at his mistake, the intelligent Penguin's face turned red, visible through his white feathers. He adverted his eyes, hoping no one would notice.

"Who's the dominate female?" Private questioned.

Tammy was about to answer when she heard her name being called out, in a rather unpleased voice. She flinched instinctively. "That's would be Martha…"

Said Meerkat walked up behind Tammy. She towered over her, being almost twice the girl's size. "WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN HERE?!" Martha bellowed.

She was almost too terrified to respond, but slowly she straightened herself. "These are my friends-" The other cut her off.

"I didn't ask WHO they were, I asked WHAT they were doing here!" She spat, giving Tammy a scolding look.

Tammy cowered, "They're just visiting."

The dominate female turned her attention to the Penguins. "Get out of here, right now!" She threw an arm up, pointing to the wall.

"Whoa-whoa, a little rude, don't you think?" Skipper said firmly, flippers on his hips. Private hide behind him.

Raising herself up on her hind legs, "I SAID GET OUT! You're not welcome here!"

Skipper scoffed as he signaled his teammates to follow him out. Martha turned to Tammy again, "NEVER bring them here again!" She barked before stalking off.

"Yes ma'am." She answered weakly, ashamed at the display that took place.

------------------------

Kowalski was doing his daily patrol after the Zoo closed. Making his way to the Warehouse he saw Tammy conversing with Ted… Or was that Fred? He waved at them as he made his over.

Waving back, she whispered to the male beside her. "Report back to Martha, I'll be along later." With a nod he left.

"Hi, Kowalski… Look, I'd like to apologize for the way Martha acted. She's still a little upset about the humans taking us. Her mate got left behind." She explained.

"Oh, it's okay. It wasn't exactly your fault to begin with." He rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you for the calculator, it's very nice." Kowalski wondered where she got it, but figured it'd be rude to ask.

The scared Meerkat smiled, "Your welcome. It's just a little thank you for showing me around and being so friendly."

"Well, I should be getting back to my rounds." He paused for a moment, "Would you like to accompany me?"

She shrugged, "Sure, I don't have anything else to do."

They headed off in the direction Kowalski was originally heading in. Making a complete round about the Zoo the two continued idly chatting, enjoying each others company. They both shared stories about their friends and battles.

The Penguin started to get a good idea where several of the Meerkats scars had come from. He looked over at her, despite the scars, her fur was smooth and wavy. Kowalski was tempted to reach out and feel it, testing how soft it was. He imagined running his flippers through her fur would be like the mane of an Alex plushie. Mentally he slapped himself at the thought, why was he thinking such things?

Tammy looked at Kowalski, he had suddenly become quiet. "Something wrong?" She asked with concern.

"Huh?", he replied in a daze. Finally the tall Penguin pushed his thoughts aside to focus on her. "Nothings wrong, why would you think something's wrong? Because there isn't anything wrong!" He said nervously.

Before she had a chance to question his outburst Tammy was hit by something, it knocked her to the ground and exploded. It was a water balloon, spilling water all over her. Slowly she got back up. Her fur clinging to her body, completely soaked. She trembled heavily, her eyes wide with shock.

"Ha! Dat is what you are to be getting for being rude to your amazing king!" King Julien shouted from his habitat wall. "Now you shall be giving to me the respect I deserve, Miss Bigfeets!" He looked at her for a moment, pleased with himself. Then he left ordering Maurice to groom his fur.

She began to hyperventilate, tears forming at the edge of her eyes. Tammy had never been wet before but her fears were justified now. It was unpleasant, being cold with her fur sticking to her body.

Kowalski felt sorry for her, even though he found the fear of water completely illogical. Frowning, he placed a flipper around her shoulder. "Come on, let's get you dried off…", he lead her toward the infirmary.

* * *

Kowalski is having strange thoughts, yes?


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry this chapter is so short... Next one will be better. Promises!

* * *

Kowalski lead Tammy inside the infirmary, he stopped in the middle of hallway. "Wait here." he said as he waddled off.

She shivered heavily, making a mental note to kill Julien and stuff his body in the trash. Suddenly a towel wrapped around her from behind, turning around she came face to face with Kowalski. He took it upon himself to start drying her off, rubbing the towel against her shoulders softly.

Tammy's teeth chattered as she kept her gaze just below his chin. His feathers were short and had a sleek, silky appearance. They didn't look like the feathers the birds back in Africa had. But then again, when said birds want to eat you, you don't really want a close look at their feathers. She tilted her head, wondering if his feathers felt as silky as they looked.

The Penguin felt things were getting awkward, feeling the need to start a conversation. "So…" he paused to think, "I'm curious, where did you learn math?"

Her gaze moved to look him in the eyes. "What?.. Oh!.. Just outside our territory was a building the humans used, but they abandoned it years ago." She replied as she began drying herself off. "I used to go there all the time. There was lots of neat stuff there. Over time I used the books to teach myself how to read, write and even do math."

"You taught yourself calculus? Impressive.." Kowalski stated rubbing his chin.

Tammy removed the towel, feeling she was dry enough. Her fur was jumbled and frizzy. She sighed as she smoothed her fur down. "Well, I worked my way up. You'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you have a lot of much time on your hands."

He nodded in agreement, recalling all the gadgets he built on his days off. Or as Skipper called it, 'Shore leave'.

They made their way outside of the infirmary. Tammy paused at the door. "Um, thanks for the help." She blushed a little, mostly from embarrassment.

"It was no trouble." Kowalski said calmly. His eyes glanced at Zoo clock, the hands read 7pm. "I should go, I'm behind schedule and Skipper gets paranoid if everything isn't done exactly right."

She nodded, "I should get going too. It was nice hanging out with you… Well, except the water part." She laughed slightly. They waved good-bye as they parted ways. As soon as Kowalski was out of view Tammy grimaced. Things weren't going as planned, and it could compromise the mission.

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Tammy slipped into the habitat and was immediately spotted by the dominate female, who didn't seem happy to see her. Martha walked over, "Where have you been?!" She demanded coldly.

"I-I was just doing some more recon." Tammy replied as calmly as she could muster.

Martha snorted, "Don't lie to me! Ted told me what you were doing!" Tammy shot Ted a quick glare, he gave her an apologetic shrug. "You were with one of those birds again!" She barked, grabbing the Meerkats attention again.

"They're Penguins…" Tammy corrected absentmindedly, realizing too late it was the wrong thing to do.

The larger female growled through her teeth, causing Tammy to lower her head in shame. "I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY ARE!" She spat, "They aren't Meerkats, and anyone who isn't a Meerkat is our enemy!… Is that clear?"

Tammy nodded, still keeping her head down.

"Good." Martha turned her attention to the rest of the group. "Alight, listen up everyone! We make our move tonight. You all know what you have to do, and do it quick!" she announced, then turned back to Tammy. "And there better not be any mistakes."

Keeping her focus to the ground Tammy replied weakly, "Yes ma'am."

* * *

**Lovelorn Lindsey- **All meerkats have a small dislike of water, and hate getting wet. But for the sake of the story let's call it a fear. =)

**Skoolgrl09-** I'm not exactly sure what you mean? Tammy has never met Skipper before. Perhaps you're confused with another story?


	7. Chapter 7

*Plays dramatic music* Here's another chapter, enjoy!

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Skipper jolted from his bed at the sound of a scream. "On your feet men!" He called out. At the order all three Penguins jumped from their bunks, standing in front of him in formation. He took a moment to look them over, Private appeared to be half asleep. "Looks like there's trouble, let's take a look-see!"

They came up onto the platform in fighting stance. "Rico, binoculars!" Skipper ordered, Rico threw up a pair, it landed in the Leaders flipper. Pausing a moment to take a look, he noticed something very strange. "What in the name of chili cheese fries!?" He blurted out.

Rico, Kowalski and Private peered in the direction Skipper was looking. They noticed most of the Zoo animals were tied up and being forced into the warehouse. The Gorillas Bada and Bing were standing at each side of the entrance, standing guard. There were a few Meerkats talking to Joey the Kangaroo.

"What's going on Skippa?" The youngest Penguin asked nervously.

The leader threw the binoculars away, "I don't know, but we're going to find out!" He motioned the others to follow and they stealthily made their way to the warehouse. Hiding behind the edge of a nearby habitat wall they could see that all the animals were now in the warehouse. Bada slammed the door shut as most of the Meerkats left. Martha, Iggy and Tammy were the only ones left.

Martha turned to head back to their habitat when the Penguins jumped in front of her, blocking her way. "What's going on here?!" Skipper glared.

The dominate female matched the glare, "We're taking over this Zoo! The humans took us from our home and expect us to entertain them?! I will not let this injustice go unpunished! If we're going to live here, then we're going to rule it!" She gave a menacing smile, an evil glint in her eyes.

"And what exactly are you going to do when the humans arrive tomorrow and see the mess you've made?" Skipper wasn't impressed, obviously spotting the flaw in her plan.

She snorted, "Kill them of course." Tammy stepped back, feeling nervous and trying to avoid Kowalski's gaze.

"Y-you're crazy!" Private trembled.

Rico echoed him, "CRAZY!"

"Why thank you." The large female said, then turned slightly toward Joey. "Get rid of these birds!"

The Kangaroo cracked his knuckles. "With pleasura!" He said in an Australian accent. Still holding a grudge against Skipper, Joey jumped at him, almost landing on the Penguin.

"Evasive! Evasive!" Skipper called out as he flipped away from Joeys large legs slamming into the ground. He knew they could take out the Gorillas, but not the Kangaroo. Joey was just as strong as Bada and Bing, but smarter.

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The three Meerkats were walking back to their habitat when Martha stopped in front of Tammy. "Why were the birds not captured?!"

She shrunk back slightly in fear, "Their habitats' surrounded by water, we couldn't get to them." In truth, she had purposely not told anyone about the secret entrance. Tammy hadn't known the Penguins long but they were so nice. She couldn't bring herself to betray them like that.

Tammy received a hard punch to the eye. "Don't lie to me! You managed to get that Otter and white Bear!" She growled as she grabbed Tammy by the neck.

"A-actually… We tricked them into coming out of their habitats… Ma'am." Iggy butted in timidly.

Her eyes never left the female who was gasping for air under her grip. "You've been a thorn in my side for too long! One more mistake and I'll _kill _you!" She flung Tammy backward. Martha turned to leave but added. "Both of you do some recon, make sure no one is left."

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After about thirty minutes the Penguins managed to trap Joey in the feeding area of his pen, thanks to Kowalski figuring out how to work the controls.

The Kangaroo was kicking at the gate. "Let me out of here!"

"Negative Wallaby." Skipper said coolly, causing Joey to growl at being called such.

As Kowalski rejoined the others Private couldn't help but ask. "Why would you help them take over the Zoo?"

Joey stopped for a moment, pulling a piece of candy from his pouch. Skipper quirked an eyebrow. "Martha promised all the salt water taffy I could eat if I did what she said." He smiled, tossing the candy into his mouth.

The lead Penguin shook his head as he walked away. "Why are the big ones so easy to bribe?"

Rico attempted to lunge at Joey to steal his candy, but was stopped by Private and Kowalski.

"Let's head back to H.Q. and come up with a plan of attack." Skipper ordered, knowing it would be foolish to charge into this without having some sort of plan.

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Back at Penguin H.Q. Kowalski was ordered to come up with a plan. But he was finding it hard to focus. He liked Tammy and felt betrayed. How could he have been so stupid?

"Tammy played us like suckers from the very beginning!" Skipper ranted. "What have you come up with Kowalski?"

The Penguin looked at the clipboard in his flippers, nothing written on it. "….. Nothing, sorry Skipper." He frowned.

"Focus Kowalski! We need to think of a way to beat those mammals!" Skipper said sternly.

Rico coughed up a stick of dynamite, and chuckled. "A little too extreme Rico…" When he saw the disappointed look the manic Penguin gave he added, "We'll keep that as a back-up plan."

"Skippa, I think I've got an idea!" Private chirped as he waddled over. He continued when he noticed the interested look on the leaders face. "Tammy mentioned Meerkats are terrified of water. Maybe we could use that against them?"

Skipper looked skeptical as he thought it over. "I believe Private might be onto something. Earlier today Julien hit her with a water balloon. Her reaction proves there is a small chance of over powering the group if we soak them." Kowalski added.

Pacing the floor for a moment, Skipper took this tiny bit of information and worked out a possible plan. It wasn't much but there wasn't time to come up with anything better. If the humans saw what was going on it meant trouble for all the animals. "Alright boys, time to start Operation 'Firemen'!"

The three Penguins gave Skipper a confused look.

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Only one more chapter to go!


	8. Chapter 8

Here it is, the final chapter. I've decided to change the rating of the story to T, because of this chapter.

I hope you've enjoyed this story.

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Tammy had just returned from recon when Skipper flipped into the Meerkats enclosure. Martha faced him, displeased that the Kangaroo failed to do his job. "This madness ends now!" He said with his usual sly expression.

"And how exactly are you going to stop me? You're a _little _out numbered!" Martha barked.

Skipper placed his flippers on his hips. "I don't want to spoil the surprise…" He let out a whistle, and the other three jumped in holding fire hoses. Private fumbled with his, it was almost too big for him to get a grip on.

The dominate female stared in confusion, but before she had a chance to speak Skipper ordered, "Alright men, open fire!" Rico, Kowalski and Private pulled the little lever on the end of the hose unleashing a blast of water on Spike, Nancy and Martha. All three were sent crashing into the wall behind them. Tammy had managed to jump out of the way just in the nick of time.

They turned the hoses off when they felt the point was made. Martha was the first to stand, her daze was quickly replaced with pure rage. "You're going to pay for that." She seethed. "BOYS!"

Ted and Fred bolted from a tunnel nearby carrying three large gun-like objects. She took one and held it up. "Do you know what this is?"

"A tranquilizer gun?" Private replied questionably.

A sadistic smirk crossed her face. "A tranquilizer gun loaded with Elephant darts to be exact!"

Kowalski gasped "That's enough sedative to kill us!"

"That's the point." She said as she aimed at Kowalski. The others took aim at Rico and Skipper.

Tammy's eyes grew wide, this was getting out of control. Just as Martha pulled the trigger Tammy tackled her. The dart flew out and landed between Kowalski's feet, Private fainted. As the two Meerkats collided with the ground the tranquilizer gun slipped from Martha's grasp.

"What do you think your doing?!" The dominate Meerkat scolded, shoving Tammy away.

She got up, making a fighting stance. "You're out of your mind! And I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Martha growled angrily, "You dare to challenge me?!" She didn't wait for a reply, and lunged at Tammy.

Kowalski stared at the dart only inches from him, shocked at how close he had been to death. Hearing screams of pain he looked up to see the two females biting and scratching each other violently. The other Meerkats just stood there, looking confused.

Martha managed to pin Tammy's back to the ground and swiftly brought her claws down, slicing the little Meerkat across the collarbone. She cried out as the wound began to bleed. Tammy struggled but couldn't push Martha off so she worked her large legs under the others stomach and kicked her off.

She stood up, but before she had a chance to get her bearings Martha attacked again. The larger female kneed her in the stomach as Tammy bit her ear.

Private woke up, seeing the fight he quickly covered his eyes. Rico watched with his tongue hanging out the side of his beak, clearly entertained. "Skipper, perhaps we should do something?" Kowalski suggested.

"Like what?" Skipper snorted, "I'm not getting mixed up in that!" He wasn't being a coward, he just wasn't inclined to help the enemy… And currently both Meerkats were their enemy.

Both staggered backwards after Martha smashed her forehead on Tammy's. They shook away the haze in their vision the head-butt caused. Once again Martha charged at the other, but Tammy leaned backward using her tail for support and kicked her back, much like a Kangaroo. The much larger female slammed into the wall and slide down to the ground. She slumped in defeat.

Tammy gasped, trying to steady her breathing. She was exhausted and fought to stay conscious. Suddenly a round of cheers startled her. She looked confusingly around to see all the Meerkats applauding her, Ted and Fred threw down their tranquilizer guns.

"W-what are you doing? Stop goofy off and attack her!" Martha bellowed as she slowly managed to get to her feet.

Everyone glared at her, even the Penguins who had no clue what was going on. "We're don't take orders from you anymore!" Yelled Nancy, still dripping wet.

"Tammy's the dominate female now!" Barb added.

Her eyes grew wide with realization. "Me?! No way, I can't be dominate!" She said in a panic.

Iggy stepped forward, self-appointed know it all. "You beat Martha, and Meerkat Law states that any female to challenge a dominate and win becomes the new dominate." Martha growled, but knew she couldn't win a rematch so soon. Instead she looked on rather bitterly.

The newly appointed dominate female of the Meerkats buried her face in her paws. "Stupid law… Stupid me…." She grumbled to herself. Tammy hadn't thought about any of this, her only intention was to save the Penguins. But maybe being the leader wouldn't be so bad? "Alright then, as my first order, free all the animals from the warehouse!" she called out happily.

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The Meerkats untied everyone, as the animals were leaving the warehouse King Julien walked up to Tammy. A furious expression plastered on his face. "You! You shall be hearing from my lawyer peoples!" He smacked her in the face with his tail before walking away. "Uh, Maurice? What are lawyer people?" he asked his adviser silently. The 'big-boned' lemur just groaned.

Tammy felt uneasy under the hateful glares she received from the passing animals. She turned her focus to Kowalski. "Kowalski, I just wanted to say…" She looked down at the ground, ashamed.

"That wound needs to be cleaned." The tall Penguin stated pointing to her collarbone. "It could get infected and leave a nasty scar."

She smiled, still looking down. "Well, that's nothing new." But she followed Kowalski to the infirmary all the same. He found a small first aid kit and began to address her cuts.

"Thank you." She said starring at him calmly.

"Your welcome, I'm well versed in first aid. I have to be with Rico around." The Penguin chuckled lightly at the thought.

"Oh, well, yes. Thanks for that." She said looking at the band-aid he had just placed on her arm. "But I meant, thank you for not… Hating me." Her voice was shaky.

Kowalski glanced up at her. "Hate you?"

She averted her eyes. "You know.. For lying, abusing your trust, helping to enslave and take over the Zoo…" She fell silent, feeling worse after saying it.

"Well, when you put it like that." he stated, pausing to close the first aid kit. "However, you proved your loyalties in the end. By the way, why didn't you tell Martha about our secret entrance?" He gave her a questioning look.

Tammy blushed and began poking at a band-aid. "Because you guys were so nice, and I like you."

"I like you too!" Kowalski blurted without thinking. He blushed under his feathers and quickly wondered if that's what she had meant.

She laughed a little before leaning forward to rub her nose against his beak. Yep, that's what she meant.

**The End…?**

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It's not over yet, there will be a sequel! *gasp*


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